Method of making chains.



L. E. MoKINNON.

METHOD OF MAKING CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1908.

1,085,625, Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

% Z, ness s; I flue/21 37."

LAGHLAN E. MOKINN ON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MAKING CHAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

" Application filed June 17, 1908. Serial No. 439,038.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LACHLAN E. McKni- NON, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods ofMaking Chains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chain links which are made from straight rodsor bars and has the object to shape such links in such manner that thecurved end portions of the links, which receive most of the wear, aresomewhat larger in cross section than the side bars of the links.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a linkblank having a butt joint at one end. F ig. 2 is a vertical section inline 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the link produced fromthis blank. Fig. 4 is a vertical section in line 44, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is aside view of a link blank having a lap joint at one end. Fig. 6 is anendwise elevation of said blank. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the linkproduced from this blank. Fig. 8 is a vertical section in line 8-8, Fig.7

Like reference characters 7 refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to Figs. 14:, a represents the side portions of the linkblank, I) the continuous curved end portion which connects the sideportions at one end of the blank, and 0 0 the divided curved endportions which abut against each other at the open end of the blank andwhich are welded together after an adjoining link has been interlockedwith the link. The blank is bent from a rod or bar which is straight orof uniform cross section throughout its length. In order to increase thecross section of the link at the ends, where the link is subjected tothe greatest wear, the welded end portion a 0 is upset by means of dieswhile the joint is hot and the closed or continuous end portion 6 issimilarly upset by means of dies while being heated, thereby producingan enlargement of the cross section at each end of the link, asrepresented at d e in Figs. 3 and 4.

When the link is constructed with a lap joint, as shown in Figs. 5-8,the lapped ends f are welded together and also upset by means of dies soas to produce an enlarged cross section 9, Figs. 7 and 8, and the closedor continuous end portion is heated and upset to produce an enlargedcross section b.

The heating can be effected by electric means or otherwise, as may bepreferred.

I claim as my invention:

The herein described method of making chain links which consists inbending a rod of substantially uniform cross-section into a link,uniting the ends of the rod at one end of the link by welding, andsubjecting the opposite end portions of the link to heat and pressure toincrease the cross-section of the two end portions substantially anequal amount beyond that of the side portions of the link.

Witness my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LACHLAN E. MGKINNON.

Witnesses:

EDWARD WILHELM, C. R. Honlysnon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. 0.

